ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo Announces First Round Of Panelists

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ASCAP has announced the first wave of music creators who will take the stage at their 2018 “I Create Music” EXPO. Among these ASCAP members from across genres and generations are Jason Mraz, Marc Cohn, Darrell Brown, Dan Wilson, Claudia Brant, Marcus Miller, Desmond Child, Paul Williams, Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell.

The 2017 “I Create Music” EXPO included nearly 200 panelists from across the music business covering dozens of compelling topics, from Congressional legislation benefiting songwriters to expanding the role of women in film music to a case study with the team behind Justin Bieber’s Purpose. The keynote speaker for this year’s “I Create Music” Expo will soon be announced; Katy Perry, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones and Justin Timberlake have previously served as keynote speakers.

Registration is now open for this year’s EXPO, which will be held Monday, May 7 through Wednesday, May 9 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles.

Industry Ink: BMI, Opry City Stage, City Of Hope Celebrity Softball Game, Aaron Tippin

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BMI Songwriter David Malloy Honored With Five Million-Air Awards

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Jody Williams, Jim Malloy, David Malloy, BMI’s David Preston and Phil Graham gather for a photo with Malloy’s 5 Million-Air awards. Photo: Steve Lowry

BMI’s Jody Williams and David Preston presented BMI songwriter David Malloy with a multitude of Million-Air certificates. Malloy received the awards for penning hit songs “Someone Could Lose A Heart Tonight” (Eddie Rabbitt), “Suspicions” (Eddie Rabbitt / Tim McGraw), “Love Will Turn You Around” (Kenny Rogers), “Drivin’ My Life Away” (Eddie Rabbitt) and “I Love A Rainy Night” (Eddie Rabbitt). The songs received 1 million, 3 million, 3 million, 5 million and 6 million broadcast performances respectively. When played back-to-back, the songs would total over 126 years of continuous airplay.

A BMI Million-Air Award is given to songwriters, composers, and publishers whose songs accumulate more than one million U.S. broadcast performances.

 

Songwriters Celebrated At Opry City Stage In NYC

Pictured (L-R): Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally, Ben Glover, Scott Sharrard and Vince Gill. Photo: Opry City Stage

The Bluebird Cafe, NMPA and NSAI held a brunch at the Studio at Opry City Stage on Jan. 26 to celebrate Grammy-nominated writers Josh Osborne and Shane McAnally, Ben Glover, and Scott Sharrard. Brett James hosted the event, which also included a surprise performance from Vince Gill.

 

Date Set For 2018 City Of Hope Celebrity Softball Game

A group photo of both teams at the 27th Annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game at First Tennessee Park on June 10, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for City Of Hope [Click photo to enlarge]

The 28th annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game will return to Nashville’s First Tennessee Park on Saturday, June 9. This year’s artist lineup will be announced at a later date.

 

Aaron Tippin Joins Harrison Ford, John Travolta At Living Legends Of Aviation Awards

Pictured (L-R): Aaron Tippin, Harrison Ford, Thea Tippin, Tom Tippin

Country singer Aaron Tippin joined Hollywood luminaries including Harrison Ford and John Travolta on Jan. 19 for the 15th annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards in Los Angeles.  During the event, Tippin, as well as wife Thea and son Tom, performed two of Tippin’s career hits, “Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly,” and “You’ve Got To Stand for Something.”

“What an honor to get to hang out with Harrison Ford and John Travolta at the ‘Living Legends of Aviation Awards,'” says Tippin. “The coolest thing about both of them is that they love aviation as much as I do, so, of course, that’s what we talked about all night.”

The “Living Legends of Aviation” annual awards gala is the most prestigious recognition event in aviation. Travolta, “The Official Ambassador of Aviation,” hosted the event, while Ford was in attendance to present the Harrison Ford Aviation Legacy Award to accomplished pilot Peter Paul Luce.

Pictured (L-R): Aaron Tippin, Thea Tippin, John Travolta, Tom Tippin. Photos courtesy Larry Grace Photography

Round Hill Music Celebrates 25th Number One With Maren Morris Hit

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Round Hill Music Nashville has reached a milestone this January as it celebrates its 25th Country Airplay No. 1 with Maren Morris’ “I Could Use A Love Song,” co-written by Round Hill’s Jimmy Robbins. The No. 1 comes on the heels of recent chart-toppers “I’ll Name The Dogs” by Blake Shelton, “Small Town Boy” by Dustin Lynch (which spent four weeks at atop the charts), “Fast” by Luke Bryan, and “Think A Little Less” by Michael Ray.

Round Hill Music Nashville’s roster includes Dallas Davidson, Jimmy Robbins, Wade Kirby, and Danny Myrick. The company owns the catalogs of Big Loud Shirt, Bob DiPiero, Josh Kear, Marti Frederiksen, Big Tractor Music, and Root 49, among others. Hits from these catalogs include “Amazed,” “Gone,” “I Saw God Today,” “Undo It,” “Need You Now,” “Before He Cheats,” “Cruise,” “Drunk On A Plane,” “Live Like You Were Dying,” and “She’s Country,” among many other country classics.

In addition to its own roster of writers, Round Hill has a joint venture with Big Loud’s publishing company and the two share a roster that includes Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Matt Dragstrem, Sarah Buxton, and Hall of Fame songwriter Craig Wiseman.

“It is a real privilege to be associated with such exceptional songwriters and remarkable catalogs,” said Round Hill’s Mark Brown. “Likewise, to have the opportunity to work with our amazing team of top-notch executives and team members companywide is a real honor. We are all so proud of every one of our writers and their outstanding achievements. Congrats to everyone.”

“Having 25 number one country songs in four years for a company our size is quite remarkable and is a result of the hard work of our songwriters along with the guidance and help from our team,” said Round Hill CEO Joshua Gruss. “Thank you to Mark Brown, all of our associated songwriters, our partners at Big Loud, and the Round Hill staff in Nashville for helping us achieve this milestone.”

January marks a historic month for Round Hill Music with the acquisition of Carlin Music and the partnership with Zync Music.

CMA, ASCAP Showcase Songwriters At Sundance Film Festival

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Pictured (L-R): Tenille Townes, Steven Lee Olsen, Jillian Jacqueline and Jordan Davis perform during CMA Songwriters Series Thursday, Jan. 25 at the 2018 Sundance ASCAP Music Café. Photo: Fred Hayes/Sundance

The CMA Songwriters Series made a stop at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 25-26, where songwriters Jordan Davis, Jillian Jacqueline, Steven Lee Olsen and Tenille Townes performed as part of the special 2018 Sundance ASCAP Music Café.

Currently in its 14th season, CMA Songwriters Series has presented more than 100 shows in 17 cities. Artists and writers who have participated in the series include Jessi Alexander, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Brandy Clark, Tom Douglas, Brett Eldredge, Miranda Lambert, Hilary Lindsey, Little Big Town, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, Kacey Musgraves, Tim Nichols, Liz Rose, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Craig Wiseman, Chris Young, and more.

Luke Bryan Welcomes Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, Morgan Wallen, Carly Pearce For Stadium Tour

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Luke Bryan will bring his What Makes You Country Tour to 13 stadiums this year, and he will bring along Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, Morgan Wallen and Carly Pearce for select dates.

Bryan’s tour will include the first-ever country show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, set for July 28. Bryan will also visit New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium (June 2), Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park (June 16), Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium (June 23), Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field (June 30), Boston’s Fenway Park (July 5/6), Minneapolis’s Target Field (July 21), Denver’s Mile High Stadium (Aug. 4),  St. Louis’ Busch Stadium (Aug. 25), Chicago’s Wrigley Field (Sept. 1), Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium (Oct. 13) and Detroit’s Ford Field (Oct. 26).

The stadium portion of the tour will launch May 31 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Bryan made the announcements today at The Steps at WME in Nashville, and brought his tourmates for a Q&A session to preview the tour.

“I think at one point, I think Pardi and Sam had the one and two biggest song of last year, and to be a new artist and come out like Carly did…I just love hearing fans singing these big hits they hear on the radio…”

“I’ve been trying to play Farm Tour for six years,” Pardi quipped.

“That’s the beauty of Nashville,” Bryan said. “Sam’s also out headlining his own stuff, but the fact that we can all come out and create a fun package for fans, at the end of the day I get so excited to put these guys in the best scenario possible, to showcase what they are and where they are going and what they are going to be.”

Bryan recalled his own first experience with stadium shows, opening for Kenny Chesney. “That’s the beauty of Kenny, how he leads by example. I never will forget, we were in Columbia, South Carolina at the Gamecocks Stadium and my bus was parked by the main entrance and I never will forget. I think the doors opened at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 9 o’clock, I watched a line of people, 30 people wide and as far as you could see, file into a stadium and I truly learned the enormity of putting 70,000 people in a college stadium like Kenny was doing. The way Kenny just made you feel at home, it made a lasting impression on me, and it was the best experience to walk in to.”

Sam Hunt revealed that fans can expect new music on the tour.

“I’ve finally gotten my life more organized than I have in years,” said a newly-clean shaven Hunt during the press conference. “Getting married helped a lot in that department. I had planned on having music out before then…I do have some songs. I’m going in February, through March and April, and I plan on having new music out before we strike out on the road, when I may not have as much time to write.”

 

Brantley Gilbert To Play Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater With Classical Orchestra

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For Brantley Gilbert‘s Nashville tour spot on May 4, the hard-hitting Georgia boy will be joined by conductor Jim Gray and classical orchestration from The Ones That Like Me Orchestra.

The orchestra has bolstered everyone from Imagine Dragons, Patti LaBelle, Ben Folds, Flaming Lips, Miranda Lambert, and Barbara Streisand. In addition, Gray has worked with jazz legends Branford Marsalis and Diane Krall, as well as the Los Angeles, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, San Diego, Charlotte Symphonies and Boston Pops.

Staind’s Aaron Lewis and Josh Phillips will join as special guests.

“There are so many great songwriters in Nashville, I think it’s easy to get caught up in what an artist stands for – and maybe lose what those songs are,” Gilbert says. “Every song I write is a piece of my life, and over time, I’ve learned a lot of other people’s lives, too. That’s special, and this seemed like a very special – and different – way to present these songs…It’s the last thing people expect, I know. But I think when folks hear how these songs fill out with the classic instruments, they’re going to be surprised at what’s there.

“There are some things we all really like,” Gilbert continues, “like a lot of loud guitars, drums that punch you in the stomach, and that can really kick you into another gear, especially in the winter. But to me, it’s when you strip songs down and put’ em back together, that’s when it gets interesting. I know Aaron and I are going to kill it out there, and I can only imagine how awesome hearing these songs a whole new way is going to be!”

Tickets for Nashville’s show will be available to members of the BG Nation in a pre-sale starting on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 10 a.m. CT and will be available to the public on Friday, Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. CT.

Stars Of ‘Nashville’ To Play Final Concert Celebration In Music City

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Stars of CMT’s hit television series Nashville will celebrate the city that they dramatically have brought to life and their home for six seasons with the NASHVILLE In Concert: Final Season Celebration at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, on March 25.

“The cast of NASHVILLE are incredibly excited to play what is surprisingly their first true ‘hometown’ concert,” said Steve Buchanan president, Opry Entertainment.  “It will be a bittersweet farewell to a city they love as production will soon wrap for the final season currently airing on CMT.”

CMT’s NASHVILLE In Concert: Final Season Celebration will feature cast members Clare Bowen, Chris Carmack, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson, Sam Palladio, Lennon Stella, Maisy Stella as well as Rainee Blake, Kaitlin Doubleday, Jake Etheridge and Nic Luken.

Tickets and VIP Packages for NASHVILLE In Concert: Final Season Celebration at the Grand Ole Opry House will go on sale February 2 at 10 am at opry.com/nashvilletour.

Cast members Clare Bowen, Chris Carmack, Charles Esten, Jonathan Jackson and Sam Palladio will head to the UK and Ireland in April for the NASHVILLE Farewell Tour as well. The shows will feature songs from the series as well as artists’ original material, and tour stops include Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff, London, Dublin and Belfast. Due to exceptional fan demand of the shows in the UK and Ireland, additional seating had to be opened up for the London O2 show on April 21 and shows were added in Dublin and Belfast for April 23 and 24 respectively.

March 25        Nashville, TN (USA)               Grand Ole Opry House
April 14          Birmingham                             Genting Arena
April 15           Leeds                                        First Direct Arena
April 17           Glasgow                                   SSE Hydro
April 18           Manchester                             Manchester Arena
April 20           Cardiff                                     Motorpoint Arena
April 21           London                                    O2 Arena
April 23           Dublin                                      3 Arena
April 24           Belfast                                     SSE Arena

Kip Moore Announces Second Set Of Plead The Fifth Tour Dates

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Kip Moore

Kip Moore announced the second leg of his headlining Plead The Fifth Tour today (Jan. 30), kicking off in Kingston, Ontario on March 22. The new dates follow the fall leg of the tour which wrapped with a sold-out stint.

Moore has invited Drake White to rejoin him on the trek following a fun-filled fall run, and has also enlisted Fairground Saints to join. Tickets will go on sale on Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. CT.

New Plead The Fifth Tour Dates:

3/22 Kingston, ON Rogers K-Rock Centre
3/23 Barrie, ON Mavericks Music Hall
3/24 Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall
3/25 Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall
3/27 Sault Ste Marie The Machine Shop
3/29 Ottawa, ON Algonquin Commons
3/30 London, ON London Music Hall
4/5 Charlotte, NC Fillmore
4/6 Myrte Beach, SC House of Blues
5/10 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theater
5/11 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theater
5/12 Penticton, BC South Okanagan Events Centre
5/14 Medicine Hat, AB Esplanade Theatre
5/15 Prince Albert, SK EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts
5/17 Winnipeg, MB Club Regent Event Centre

CMA Songwriters Series Hosts London Show During C2C Festival

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The CMA Songwriters Series is returning to London’s indigo at The O2 Thursday, March 8 as part of the sixth annual Country 2 Country festival. Hosted by songwriter Brett James, the sold-out show will also feature performances by Luke Combs, Nicolle Galyon, Natalie Hemby and Kip Moore. This marks the fifth London appearance for the Country Music Association’s critically-acclaimed CMA Songwriters Series.

Currently in its 14th season, CMA Songwriters Series has presented more than 100 shows in 18 cities including Austin, Belfast, Chicago, Dublin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Park City (at Sundance), Phoenix, Toronto and Washington, D.C. at the renowned Library of Congress and John F. Kennedy Center. Artists and songwriters who have participated in the series include Jessi Alexander, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Brandy Clark, Tom Douglas, Brett Eldredge, Miranda Lambert, Hilary Lindsey, Little Big Town, Shane McAnally, Lori McKenna, Kacey Musgraves, Tim Nichols, Liz Rose, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Craig Wiseman, Chris Young, and more.

Marty Stuart To Join Chris Stapleton Tour

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Marty Stuart

Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives will join Chris Stapleton for 36 stops on Stapleton’s All-American Road Show as it runs throughout 2018. Stuart and his band will serve as direct support on shows in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, St. Louis and more.

This Wednesday, Jan. 31, a press conference and musical performance will be held at the Mississippi State Capitol to announce Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music. The new facility, which incorporates the historic Ellis Theater, is equal parts concert venue, museum, and educational center. With over 20,000 invaluable items, Stuart’s collection of country music artifacts is the largest private collection of its kind in the world. Included in the new development is the Marty Stuart Center, an inviting setting where students can learn about the spectrum of careers available within the music industry. Endorsed by the GRAMMY Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the Library of Congress, the Center will focus on using music to inspire learning, critical thinking, and self-expression.

Recently, Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives debuted their cover of the classic Jimmy Martin song “Homesick” via Guitar World, who praised the “tasteful, bluesy, reverb-laden guitar playing we’ve come to expect from Stuart and Kenny Vaughan.” The track is part of Amazon Music’s “Love Me” and “Love Me Not” playlists which will be released on February 9th in honor of Valentine’s Day. Listen to “Homesick” via Guitar World here.

Marty Stuart Tour Dates as part of Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show include:

June 16 ­­­­­­­/// Brandon, MS /// Brandon Amphitheater
June 22 /// Rogers, AR /// Walmart AMP
June 28 /// Darien Center, NY /// Darien Lake Amphitheater
June 29 /// Philadelphia, PA /// BB&T Pavilion
June 30 /// Mansfield, MA /// Xfinity Center
July 13 /// St. Louis, MO /// Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
July 19 /// Spokane, WA /// Spokane Arena
July 20 /// Portland, OR /// Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
July 21 /// Seattle, WA /// White River Amphitheatre
July 26 /// South Lake Tahoe, NV /// Harveys Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena
July 27 /// Sacramento, CA /// Toyota Amphitheatre
July 28 /// Mountain View, CA /// Shoreline Amphitheatre
August 2 /// Billings, MT /// Rimrock Auto Arena
August 3 /// Missoula, MT /// Adams Center
August 4 /// Boise, ID /// Ford Idaho Center
August 9 /// Albuquerque, NM /// Isleta Amphitheater
August 10 /// Denver, CO /// Pepsi Center
August 11 /// Salt Lake City, UT /// USANA Amphitheatre
August 16 /// San Diego, CA /// Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
August 17 /// Anaheim, CA /// Honda Center
August 18 /// Los Angeles, CA /// The Forum
August 23 /// Saratoga Springs, NY /// Saratoga Performing Arts Center
August 24 /// Gilford, NH /// Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
October 4 /// Cincinnati, OH /// Riverbend Music Center
October 5 /// Indianapolis, IN/// Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
October 6 /// Chicago, IL /// Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
October 11 /// Charlotte, NC /// PNC Music Pavilion
October 12 /// Raleigh, NC /// Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
October 13 /// Bristow, VA /// Jiffy Lube Live
October 19 /// Alpharetta, GA /// Verizon Amphitheatre
October 20 /// Atlanta, GA /// Lakewood Amphitheater
October 25 /// Columbia, SC /// Colonial Life Arena
October 26 /// Knoxville, TN /// Thompson Boling Arena
October 27 /// Lexington, KY /// Rupp Arena
November 2 /// New York, NY /// Madison Square Garden
November 3 /// Charlottesville, VA /// John Paul Jones Arena